Discharging device



OQLBI, 1933. G. WEATON DISCHARGING DEVICE Filed April 20, 1932 gwwmtoc 35% Mw/fWW/f/y Patented Oct. 31, 1933 AUNITED .STATES VPATENT oFFcE.

DISCHARGING DEVICE George F. Weaton,

Beaver, Pa., assigner to St.

Joph Lead Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York This invention relates to a device for discharging solid materials from shafts. More particularly it relates to a rotary discharge table and construction.

5 The object of the invention is to provide a device which will discharge dry materials or mixed dry and viscous materials from shafts uniformly androntrollably and in such a way that the material in the shaft settles uniformly across the section of the shaft.

Briefly described the invention comprises a rotatable circular table mounted below the mouth of a shaft the diameter of the table being advantageously about 1.4 times the diameter of the mouth of the shaft. It. is preferable to flare out the lower end of the shaft so that the mouth diameter is about 11A times the main shaft diameter, the are being advantageously at an angle of about 6. The flare may be provided in a series of steps as will be more fully indicated hereafter.

It is also desirable to provide a discharge table whose upper surface isa segment of a sphere,

advantageously having a radius of curvature equal to four times the main shaft diameter. It is also advantageous to provide means for varying the distance between the table and the mouth of the shaft, for example, by raising and lowering the table.

In order to illustrate the principles of the invention it will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through the lower portion of a shaft equipped with a discharge device embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the discharge control obtainable by means of the invention.

In Fig. 1, 1 is the lower portion of the shaft which for the purpose of illustration is repre- 4 sented asa circular shaft electric furnace, an

electrode being shown at 2. The furnace is supported by means including appropriate structural members 3 and 4. Positioned below the mouth of the furnace and spaced therefrom is the discharge table 5. The table is carried at the upper end of shaft 6, and is rotatable by means of variable speed motor '7 through reduction gearing 8, shaft 9, pinion 10, and gear 11.

Provision for regulating the distance between the table and the bottom of the furnace is made by a device for raising or lowering the table. This is accomplished in the embodiment being described by slidably positioning gear l1 on shaft 6, rotational thrust being effected through key 12 retained by bolts 13. Shaft 6 and table 5 are carried on thrust bearing 14, and may be raised or lowered as desired by the rotation of jack screw 15 driven by motor 16 through gearing 17, shaft 18, pinion 19, and gear 20.

When applying the invention to an electrothermic furnace, appropriate insulating couplings 21 and 22 are inserted in shafts 9 and 18, respectively.

In Fig. 2, B represents surfaceof the settling charge in the furnace which may be obtained by proper adjustment of the 'discharge device of the invention, while A and C represent the uneven settling resulting from improper adjustment of the device. fn order to obtain the most satisfactory uniformity of settling throughout the area of the shaft it has been found to be advantageous to flare the mouth of the furnace so that the mouth diameter is about 11/4 times the main shaft diameter. An effective way of increasing the mouth diameter is by ilarm ing the lower portion of the furnace from a point of origin D situated about 1% times the main shaft diameter from the mouth, at an angie of about 6. In the embodiment shown in the drawn ing this flare is distributed in two steps, the first step E being relatively abrupt at an angle of about 45. The first step is followed by a vertical section F, after which the wall is cut in at 90, a distance equivalent to an angle of 4 with. the mouth. The final step G is continued to the mouth at an angle of 2. The lengths of the steps are designed to provide an overall angle from the point of origin D to the mouth of about 6.

The effect of the fiare at the lower portion of the shaft is apparently to increase the velocity of discharge at the perimeter, thereby compensating for the lowering of velocity at the perimeter caused by friction of the charge with the shaft walls.

In the operation of the device the materials discharged from the furnace fall from table 5 onto pan 23, whence they are removed by a plow, not shown, to a conveying device.

I claim:

1, Device for discharging solid materials from the bottom of shafts comprising, in combination with a shaft, a rotatable circular table spaced from the mouth of the shaft, the upper surface of said table being a segment of a sphere.

the substantially plane 2. Device for discharging solid materials from the bottom of shafts comprising, in combination with a shaft, a rotatable circular table spaced from the mouth of the shaft, the upper surface of said table being a segment of a sphere of a radius of curvature about e times the main diameter of the shaft.

3. Device for discharging solid materials from the bottom of shafts comprising, in combination with a shaft, a rotatable circular table spaced from the mouth of the shaft, and means for varying the distance between the table and the mouth of the shaft.

4. Device for discharging solid materials from the bottom of shafts comprising, in combination With a shaft, a rotatable circular table spaced from the mouth of the shaft and means for varying the vertical position of the table.

5. Apparatus for the treatment of solid materials comprising a shaft having an open mouth at the bottom thereof, the lower portion of said shaft being flared so that the mouth diameter is about 1.25 times the main diameter of the Leeaees the vertical, and a rotatable horizontal table spaced from the mouth of the shaft.

7. Apparatus for the treatment of solid materials comprising a shaft having an open mouth at the bottom thereof, the lower portion of said shaft being flared at an angle of about 6 with the vertical, and a rotatable horizontal table spaced from the mouth of the shaft, said table having a diameter about 1.4 times the mouth of the shaft, the upper surface of said table being a segment of a sphere of a radius of curvature about @l times the main diameter of the shaft.

8. Apparatus for the treatment of solid materials comprising a shaft having an open mouth at the bottom thereof, the lower portion of said shaft being flared at an angle of about 6 with the vertical, a rotatable horizontal table spaced from the mouth of the shaft. said table having a diameter about 1.4 times the mouth of the shaft, the upper surface of said table being a segment of a sphere of a radius of curvature about d times the main diameter of the shaft, and means for Varying the vertical position lof the table.

'anonce r'. Waarom. 

